Reviews

With the End in Mind: How to Live and Die Well by Kathryn Mannix

bangbangkisskiss's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This was a beautiful book, it really helped me when dealing with my Dads illness and subsequent passing. 

gangoose's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

bryony_'s review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Made me cry multiple times while reading it- but I am also an emotional person.
I’ve looked after patients at the end of life and this had some great examples and discussions around communicating difficult conversations in these circumstances. And the importance for all of us in making our wishes known to our loved ones. Palliative care is a special kind of speciality and this book was a great insight

merrydrummer's review against another edition

5.0

 This was beautiful. The author is a palliative care consultant and she told stories of her experiences working with dying people. I learned so much about what normal dying is, what it looks like and how to talk about it. I also thought about how important it would be to have someone to talk to about death when you are terminally ill. We would talk about any other problems and would find it helpful to have aknowledgeable guide in any other situation but somehow we never talk about death. If I was dying, I would want to have those conversations openly and be able to ask questions. She also made a similar point about the availability of palliative care in countries where euthanasia is permitted, Living with a terminal illness is seen as somehow undignified but actually people can have a good quality of life with the right support and accommodations. 

claalaaa's review against another edition

emotional informative fast-paced

4.5

bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition

4.0

Most cultures throughout the United States are far too allergic to talk of death, so much so that we even shy away from the word. Instead, we opt for "passed away" or "is no longer with us."

With the End in Mind is an empathetic recounting of Dr. Mannix's experiences in palliative care. She details the ways terminally ill patients approach their own deaths. While everyone does so in their own way, Mannix offers comfort in showing some of the more universal aspects of dying.

It's definitely one of those books you give to someone in a similar situation or who has a loved one nearing the end of their life.

elliesd7fc2's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

becky_mercer93's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

4.5

A genuinely interesting and thought provoking look at a sensitive topic. Both heartwarming and heart-wrenching at times, this is a very real look at death and all it entails. 

chamsae's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

tomstbr's review against another edition

5.0

Best book I've read in ages.

This is an incredible book that will truly affect you. I found myself on the train running the full gamut of emotions: from being close to tears to laughing at an anecdote to genuinely feeling unsettled. And all because Kathryn Mannix forces you to look death up close and personal. But this isn’t just a collection of her stories as a palliative carer. It’s also a meditation on death and everything that comes with it. She groups her stories into themes such as Patterns and Legacy and explores each like a surgeon finding the core of a cancer. Plus, she’s just a fantastic, almost poetic writer.